Window regulator construction



P 22, 1942 w. c. DEVEREAUX 2,296,811

WINDOW REGULATOR CONS TRUCTION Filed Jan. 29, 1940 I NVEN TOR.

BY W LLIAM ,C. DEVEREAUX ATTORNEYS Patented Sept. 22, 1942 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE WEN-DOW REGULATOR CONSTRUCTION William C. Devereaux, Detroit, Mich.

Application January 29, 1940, Serial No. 316,250

Claims.

This invention relates generally to window regulators for sliding closures and refers more particularly to improvements in the means for operatively connecting the window regulator arm to a slidable closure.

In motor vehicle body constructions, it is customary to provide a horizontal guide at the bottom of the closure and to provide a stud on the free end of the regulator arm extending through an elongated slot in the guide so that swinging the free end of the arm in opposite directions respectively raises and lowers the closure. In accordance with conventional practice, the stud is provided with a head engageable with one side of the guide bracket and a spring pressed washer is sl'idably mounted on the stud for frictional engagement with the opposite side of the guide bracket. The spring acting on the washer must be sufilciently strong to prevent rattling of the parts and, as a result, considerable friction is introduced in the assembly. This friction is objectionable because it increases the resistance to sliding movement of the closure by the regulator arm and renders the operation of the regulator more difficult.

It is one of the principal objects of this invention to increase the ease of operation of a window regulator of the above general type to raise or lower a closure by reducing the friction between the upper end of the regulator arm and horizontal guide to a minimum. In accordance with this invention, the free end of the regulator arm is insulated from metallic contact with the guide by a material having a relatively low coefiicient of friction. As a result, the resistance to sliding movement of the regulator arm stud in the guide bracket is not only reduced to a minimum, but more quiet operation is insured.

'With the foregoing, as well as other objects in view, the invention resides in the novel constructionof the connection between the free end of the regulator arm and horizontal guide. This construction will be made more apparent as this description proceeds, especially when considered in connection with the accompanying drawing, wherein:

Figure 1 is a semi-diagrammatic elevational view showing a typical regulator arm connected to a closure in accordance with the present invention;

Figure 2 is an enlarged sectional view taken substantially on the plane indicated by the line '2-2 of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is an elevational view of a part of the connection shown in Figure 2.

Referring now more in detail to the several figures of the drawing, it will be noted that the reference character In designates a vertically slidable closure in the form of a glass panel having a retaining channel ll secured to the bottom edge thereof. Positioned directly beneath the glass retaining channel II is a channelshaped guide bracket l2 having the base portion I3 extending vertically and having the upper flange I4 secured to the base of the glass retaining channel I I for movement as a unit with the closure 10. Upon reference to Figure 2, it will be noted that the base 13 of the guide bracket is formed with an elongated slot l5 therethrough having flanges I'B projecting laterally from the opposed longitudinal edges of the slot. The flanges iii are flared outwardly with respect to the longitudinal center line of the slot and form vertically spaced guide surfaces [1.

The width of the slot [5 is sufficient to receive a stud 18 having a reducedportion l9 at the inner end riveted or otherwise fixedly secured to the free end of a regulator arm 20 and having a cylindrical portion 2| intermediate the ends adapted to ride in the slot 15. The outer end of the stud isprovided with a frusto-conically shaped head portion 22 integrally connected to the cylindrical portion 2| by means of a reduced neck portion 23 and having the end of maximum diameter positioned adjacent the cylindrical portion 2|. The arrangement is such as to provide an annular recess 24 on the stud between the head 22 and the cylindrical portion 2|.

Referring again to Figure 2 of the drawing, it will be noted that the inner side of the base is of the guide bracket is engaged by a disc 25 formed of a non-metallic material having a relatively low coefficient of friction. Although various different types :of composition material may be employed to form the :disc .25, nevertheless, I prefer to fashion the same from a lubricant impregnated leather since I have found that this material may be slid along the metal surface of the base l3 of the bracket with the minimum friction. The-disc 25 has a backing in the form of a metal disc 26 dished in a direction away from the base 13 on the guide bracket 12 and slidably mounted on the reduced portion P9 of the stud. The reduced portion IQ of the stud forms an annular shoulder 21 at the inner end of the cylindrical portion 2| and both discs are normally yieldably urged in a direction toward the shoulder 21 by means of a suitable coil spring 28. The coil spring 28 surrounds the reduced portion [9 of the stud with the opposite ends respectively abutting the free end of the regulator arm 20 and the metal disc 26. The nonmetallic disc 25 is highly flexible so as to conform to the contour of the dished disc 26 and the portions of the base l3 on the bracket at opposite sides of the slot [5 are shaped to provide the minimum area of contact with the disc 25.

It will, of course, be understood that the maximum diameter of the stud I8 is less than the width of the slot I5 in order to permit the stud to be extended through the slot during assembly. In the present instance, the stud is maintained in assembled relation with the guide bracket l2 by means of a retainer 29. The retainer 29 is adapted to be snapped over the head 22 on the outer end of the stud into engagement with the adjacent end of the cylindrical portion 2! on the stud and slidably engages the guide surfaces I! on the flanges I6 under the influence of the spring 28. In detail, the retainer 29 comprises a disc 30 having the central portion upset or bent axially inwardly with respect to the peripheral portion to form an annular conicallyshaped portion 3| and having an opening 32 through the center of greater diameter than the cylindrical portion 2| of the stud so as to receive the outer end of the cylindrical portion. A non-metallic disc 33 is placed on the inner side of the disc 36 and this disc possesses sufficient flexibility to conform to the shape of the disc 30. The disc 33 is also centrally apertured to receive the outer end of the cylindrical portion 2! on the stud and is preferably formed of the same material as the disc 25. The annular portion 34 of the disc 33 engages the longitudinal guiding surfaces I! on the flanges l6 and, under the influence of the spring 28, cooperates with the non-metallic disc 25 to yieldabl grip the guide bracket [2 therebetween. Inasmuch as both the disc 25 and the disc 33 are formed of a material having a low coefiicient of friction, it necessarily follows that the minimum resistance is offered to sliding movement of the stud longitudinally of the guide bracket. Also, in view of the fact that both the disc 33 and disc 25 are formed of non-metallic material, it follows that the connection will be quiet in operation,

The discs 36 and 33 are held on the stud by means of a spring metal disc 35 having a continuous peripheral portion abutting the outer side of the peripheral portion of the disc 35 and having a spoked central portion. The radially inner ends of the spokes are free from connection with each other and form flexible fingers 36 of a length predetermined to permit the same to be snapped over the head 22 on the stud into the annular recess 24. The peripheral portions of the three discs 39, 33 and 35 are held in permanent assembled relationship by means of a sheet metal ring 31 crimped over the peripheral portions of the discs 33 and 35.

It will be noted from the foregoing that the non-metallic disc [3 forms a unit with the retainer and is assembled on the stud in a position to engage the guide surfaces I! on the flanges l6 by merely snapping the retainer over the head 22 on the outer end of the stud. The flexible disc 25 may, of course, be assembled on the reduced portion is of the stud as a unit with the backing disc 26 and spring 28 prior to securing the stud to the regulator arm. It follows, therefore, that the construction is relatively simple and lends itself to ease in assem bly.

In accordance with conventional practice, the regulator arm 20 is connected to the usual gear segment 38 and the latter is rocked to effect the desired swinging movement of the arm by means of a pinion 39. The pinion shaft is operatively connected to a handle of usual construction positioned at the inner side of the vehicle for convenient manipulation.

What I claim as my invention is:

1. In a window regulator for a vertically slidable closure having a guide bracket at the bottom edge formed with an elongated slot therethrough, a regulator arm mounted for swinging movement and having a stud at the swinging end projecting laterally from the arm through said slot, a spring metal disc having a snap-on engagement with the free end portion of the stud to secure the stud in assembled relation with the guide bracket, a non-metallic disc formed of a material having a relatively low coefficient of friction positioned between the spring metal disc and adjacent side of the guide bracket for frictional engagement with said bracket, and means for securing said discs together as a unit.

2. In a window regulator for a vertically slidable closure having a guide bracket at the bottom edge formed with an elongated slot therethrough, a regulator arm mounted for swinging movement and having a stud at the swinging end projecting laterally from the arm through said slot, a spring metal disc having a snap-on engagement with the free end portion of the stud and having a diameter greater than the width of the slot through the guide bracket, a flexible non-metallic disc formed of a material having a relatively low coefficient of friction positioned between the spring metal disc and adjacent side of the guide bracket for frictional engagement with said guide bracket, a metal backing disc for the non-metallic disc positioned between the latter disc and said spring metal disc, and a ring crimped over the peripheral portions of said discs to secure the same together as a unit.

3. In a Window regulator for a vertically slidable closure having a guide bracket at the bottom edge formed with an elongated slot therethrough, a regulator arm mounted for swinging movement, a stud projecting laterally from the swinging end of the regulator arm through said slot and having a head providing a shoulder, a metal disc having a plurality of radially inwardly extending spring fingers defining a central opening through the disc and possessing suflicient flexibility to spring over the head on the stud into engagement with said shoulder to hold the metal disc in assembled relation with the stud, a nonmetallic disc carried by the metal disc and slidably engageable with the adjacent side of the guide bracket, and spring means acting through the head on said stud for urging the non-metallic disc into engagement with the guide bracket 4. In a window regulator for a vertically slidable closure having a guide bracket at the bottom edge formed with an elongated slot therethrough, a regulator arm mounted for swinging movement, a stud projecting laterally from the swinging end of the regulator arm through said slot and having a head providing a shoulder, a metal disc centrally apertured to receive the stud and having a diameter greater than the width of the slot in the guide bracket, a non-metallic disc positioned between the metal disc and the adjacent surface of the guide bracket, a second disc having a plurality of spring fingers adapted to spring over the head on the stud and snap into engagement with said shoulder, means for securing said discs together to form a unitary construction, and spring means for urging'the discs toward the guide bracket to engage the non-metallic disc with said guide bracket.

5. In a window regulator for a vertically slidable closure having a guide bracket at the bottom edge formed with an elongated slot therethrough, a regulator arm mounted for swinging movement and having a part extending laterally from the swinging end thereof through the slot in the guide bracket, an angular shoulder on said part adjacent the free end of the latter, an inwardly bowed disc centrally apertured to receive the free end portion of the part aforesaid, an outwardly bowed disc centrally apertured to receive the free end of said part and engageable with said shoulder, the Peripheral portions of the discs being secured together to form a unit, a nonmetallic disc having a relatively low coefficient of friction positioned against the inner surface of the inwardly bowed disc and having the periphery thereof secured to the peripheral portionsof both the aforesaid discs, and means for holding the two first mentioned discs under tension between the shoulder on said part and the adjacent side of the guide bracket WILLIAM C. DEVEREAUX. 

